We Become Divine After Every Pain
by MercuryHatter
Summary: Caroline Salvatore is the Original Hybrid determined to break her curse. While on the run from their father, Alaric, Stefan and Caroline meet Klaus and Rebekah in the 1920's. When Alaric catches up to them, Caroline compels Klaus and Rebekah to forget, and daggers Stefan. When the doppelganger appears once more in 2012, Caroline and Klaus meet again but this time as enemies. AU.
1. The First Encounter

Summary: AU Original Vampire, Caroline Salvatore, will stop at nothing to break her Hybrid curse. Running from their father, Alaric, Stefan and Caroline come across Niklaus and Rebekah Mikaelson in the 1920's. Fearing that they were getting too close, Caroline compels them to forget, and daggers Stefan. Only for the four of them to meet again in 2012.

* * *

_1920's_

As they stepped in the club, they were hit by the overwhelming smell of booze, sweat and blood. Tonight was Gloria's 30th birthday. There was an abundance of gentlemen and dolled up women dressed to the nines. The dance floor was packed with warm bodies as the birthday girl serenaded the crowd.

Caroline looked up at the dark skinned girl on stage and winked. Gloria was her favorite witch after all. Gloria only winked back in response.

"I'm going to get a drink" she said, as she turned around to look at her brother.

Stefan grinned at her and said, "As long as I get that hot little brunette in the corner".

Caroline scoffed at him. "I meant a shot of alcohol, dear brother. I forgot how disagreeable you are when you're being your usual Ripper self".

She could her him chuckling under his breath as she turned around once more and made her to the bar.

"May I buy you a drink, love?"

Caroline whipped her head around to look at the owner of the voice. There stood a tall man with short unruly curly blonde hair and a mischievous set of blue eyes. She smiled at him and said, "Yes, you may".

He smirked at her before taking the available seat next to her.

"Tony, why don't you bring us two shots of whiskey. Neat."

"Well, at least I know I'm in good company tonight. A whiskey man. My kind of my man" she said, her eyes lingering on the dimples at the side of his face.

As the bartender set their drinks down, the man slipped him a few bills in return.

The man nursed his drink in his hand, before taking an initial sip. As the liquor burned his throat, he focused his gaze on the woman beside him. Her drink was left untouched, as he found her gaze staring back.

"Is there a reason why you're not drinking your whiskey, love?" he asked.

"Well, you see, I don't accept drinks from strangers." she cheekily replied.

He threw back his head and let out a throaty laugh as he assessed the blonde beside him. He composed himself for a second and offered her his outstretched hand.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to be rude. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. You can call me Nik." he said.

As she placed her hand in his, he brought it slowly towards his lips and kissed it.

"Niklaus? That's an odd name." she commented.

"It's a bit old fashioned, I know. I have half the mind to think my parents gave it to me with the sole intention of having it embarrass me in life forever."

"It's not embarrassing at all. I quite like it. Although, if you don't mind, I'd rather call you Klaus. It suits you better." she said, as she clinked her glass against his and taking a sip.

* * *

"You don't strike me as the jealous boyfriend type" a feminine voice said, snapping him out his reverie.

Stefan grinned at the source of the interruption.

"She's not my girlfriend" he simply said as he looked at the woman in front of him.

The woman laughed humourlessly as she gave him the once over.

"She's my sister. I just don't appreciate it when creeps try to win her over." he said, his eyes leaving the blond woman in front of him.

She followed his line of sight and laughed once more. He frowned at her.

"What's so funny, babe?" he hissed.

"You. You're what's funny, _babe._" she replied, with a teasing grin.

"That's new. I must say, I've met a lot of people in life and only a handful would agree with you."

"Well, you must be your brooding vampire self most of the time to leave people with that impression then"

"I wasn't going to say anything, _babe_, but it seems that you're quite comfortable in calling me out. Let me return the favour." he said as he gestured for a waitress to come closer.

She furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion as she watched as the waitress stood near to Stefan.

"What's your name, doll?" he asked, addressing the waitress.

The waitress blushed crimson as she leaned forward to the attractive man in his all black suit.

"Na- Nancy" she managed to stutter out, gaining a smirk from Stefan.

The blonde woman scowled at him, not enjoying his diverted attention. She wanted to leave but she was curious as to what his next actions would be.

"Well, Nancy. You and I are going to be great friends." Stefan said, as he produced a switchblade from his pocket. "Don't scream" he said, as he felt his compulsion working on the waitress.

He pulled the waitress closer to him, and returned his attention to the blonde woman across him. He winked at her before steadily grazing Nancy's chest with switchblade.

As the blood slowly poured out of the compelled waitress's chest, the distinct smell of iron caused the blonde woman's face to transform. Her eyes were bloodshot, dark veins under them, as fangs started to protrude in her mouth.

"Now that's an interesting face, babe" he commented smugly as he studied her vampire face.

She scowled at him. She suddenly felt stupid. She felt right into his hands. She willed her face to go back to normal as he dragged his finger across the still bleeding wound and brought it to his mouth.

"You're despicable" she hissed at him.

"I was merely returning the favour, babe. I just wanted to see your real face, and what a stunning face indeed. I'll be seeing you around, Rebekah."

In a flash, he was out of her line of sight, along with the compelled waitress.

Rebekah frowned. She didn't remember giving him her name.

* * *

She was having the time of her life, if she was being honest with herself.

"So far we've already covered politics, religion and sex. All of the things that shouldn't really be uttered in polite company." she said with a signature smile.

"Well, on to more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress" he replied, showing her his dimples once more.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were seducing me, Klaus."

"Would it be a problem if I were?"

"Well, let me warn you at least. I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

"Maybe that's why I like you."

She giggled at his response as he continued to wear the boyish grin on his face.

"Caroline. Caroline Salvatore" she said.

He furrowed his brows for a moment, confused by her sudden words before realization hit him.

"I was wondering when I was going to get your name, sweetheart. Caroline. It suits you."

She felt an involuntary shiver run down her body at his mention of her name. In that second, she decided that accent of his was downright sinful to the ears.

"Care for a dance, love? There's only so much whiskey we can consume in this joint."

He offered his hand to her once more. She nodded as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor.

He held her tightly against him as Gloria belted out the lyrics to the song. He could feel her slowly relax in his arms as they weaved through the crowd.

That's when he felt it again.

He had the annoying suspicion of being watched and he didn't like it one bit. He casually scanned the crowd to seek out his observer. They landed on a scowling man with dark green eyes. As he tried to focus on the man's face, he saw miniscule streaks of blood on the corner of his lips.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly aware of his tensed body.

"Another vampire is watching. I don't know him but he looks like trouble" he whispered, aware that they could be heard even from where they were standing.

"Another vampire? So you were aware that I was one. Here I thought we were getting along so well, Klaus" she said, sighing as the music was drawing to a stop.

"I'd like to think we were, sweetheart. I only assumed that you knew I knew. I only used the oldest trick in the book after all."

"And pray tell, what is it?"

"Listening to what isn't there."

She looked at him for a moment before smiling again.

"You are really smart for a baby vampire." she replied.

"And I know better than to comment on a woman's age." he said, smirking.

Caroline laughed at his words. He was definitely interesting.

"Does this other vampire have blonde hair and green eyes?" she asked.

He raised his eyebrow at her before confirming, "Yes. Do you know him?"

"Oh, you're talking about Stefan. He's harmless. I've known him my whole life." she said dismissively, as he twirled her around.

He brought her back into his arms more roughly than he initially intended, as a possessive growl escaped his throat.

"Relax, _sweetheart_" she said, bringing her hand to gently cup his face. "Stefan's my older brother. He's always been what you call an elitist."

He stared down at the beautiful girl in his arms, and in the first time that night, he felt wary of her.

"I know I said I knew better than to comment on a lady's age, but quite frankly sweetheart, you're starting to worry me. How old are you really?" he asked, finally giving into his curiosity.

Before she could answer him, Stefan suddenly appeared by their side.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Care?" he asked, as he raised his eyebrow at Klaus.

Caroline untangled herself from Klaus's arms as she straightened herself to address Stefan.

"Stefan, this is Klaus. Klaus, this is my brother, Stefan." she said in vain. She sighed as she gazed at the two men. Neither of them was paying attention to her words, as they were wrapped up in staring the other down.

She cleared her throat to catch her attention, as both men snapped their attention to her.

"Now, now. Play nice, boys. Or else." she said, growling at them.

* * *

She was quickly growing tired of this place. Nik had promised her they were only going to be a while. After that waitress stunt earlier, her throat was burning for blood. She scanned the booths for the telltale sign of her brother, and felt her anger rise as she spotted him sitting across the vampire who was responsible for her current bloodlust. She took a few calming breaths before stalking towards their direction.

"I didn't know you had friends in Chicago, Nik" she said. Her voice permeating the conversation currently existing between the three vampires sitting in the dark booth.

All three turned their attention to the blonde woman as she continued to glare at her older brother.

"Bekah, these are Caroline and Stefan. Caroline, Stefan, this is my younger sister, Rebekah."

Stefan smirked at her and moved to accommodate her beside him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Caroline. I wish the same could be said about your brother." she said, as she begrudgingly took the seat beside the psychotic vampire.

Caroline's gaze volleyed between her brother and Rebekah, noting the familiar smugness on Stefan's face and the tenseness in Rebekah's shoulders.

"I'm guessing my dear brother Stefan already introduced himself to you earlier." Caroline said, curious as to the encounter between the two vampires.

"Something like that" Rebekah answered, as if the words were leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Caroline scowled at Stefan. He looked back at her and merely shrugged, unashamed of his actions.

"Pardon my brother, Rebekah. He's usually more of a gentleman when he's doesn't have his pesky little switch off." Caroline said, before offering a genuine smile to the other blonde across the booth.

* * *

"You never told me how you knew my name." she said, willing his attention from the pair across from them. The couple had been engaged in deep conversation for the past hour. It was almost rude how they were completely forgetting they had present company.

He rolled his eyes at her dramatically and said, "I know your name simply because I make it my business to know every vampire in the city that Caroline and I are currently in. Don't think for a second that you're something special, _babe_."

Stefan took a large gulp of the whiskey that he had been nursing before fully turning towards the blonde beside him. The sight of her made him want to giggle like a schoolgirl. She was definitely seething. She was taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

Rebekah found herself gripping the table until her knuckles turned white. The edge of the table snapped under the pressure as she willed herself to calm down. She realized her mistake when she looked up at him and saw his insufferable smirk taunting her. She felt the rage inside her taking over as she raised the piece of wood and moved to stab Stefan in the neck.

"Uh - uh, _babe._" Stefan said, as he easily caught the piece of wood in his hands before it met his skin. "Well, that was very rude of you, Rebekah" he said, his eyes no longer holding any humour. "You know how I feel about returning favours, doll." His voice laced with the underlying threat.

Caroline and Klaus had long since stopped their conversation as they both tensed up at the scene before them. Each was poised, ready to help their respective sibling in the scuffle.

"Stefan, stop teasing the girl. I think it's time to go home. If I wanted to witness a bar fight, I would've gone out with Damon." Caroline said, trying to ease the tension.

Stefan relaxed a bit before smiling at the vampires in the booth. "You're right, Care. I think it's time to call it a night." he said as he excused himself out of the booth.

Caroline sighed, releasing the breath that she was unknowingly holding. She raised her eyes to gaze at the Mikaelson siblings sitting in the booth.

Rebekah looked shaken at her encounter with Stefan. Caroline couldn't really fault her for it. Stefan's usually dangerously unpredictable when he's being his old Ripper self. She glanced at Klaus and saw anger in his eyes. Undoubtedly, he had been outraged on Rebekah's behalf. Caroline sighed again. Good ol' Stefan. Leaving his younger sister to do damage control. Again.

"I apologize on behalf of my brother, Rebekah. Don't let tonight be your basis for his character. He just doesn't take well to strangers, especially vampires that we don't know." Caroline said, as she noticed Rebekah started to calm down.

"Next time your brother pulls a stunt like that, his pretty little head will be coming off his shoulder. Brother or not, sweetheart." Klaus said. His voice had been calm, but the fire in his eyes remained.

"As much as I know your juvenile threat is more than justified, I'll have you know that I don't take well to threats, _sweetheart._ You two are merely baby vampires. You've lived like what? A century? Two centuries? Don't think for a second that you can take on not one, but two Originals." Caroline bit back.

Recognition flooded Nik's face as Caroline's words sunk in. Rebekah gulped, but held her chin up high.

Caroline sighed again. The night was going so well.

"Look, I'm not looking for a fight. I already apologized for Stefan's behavior. We don't need any empty threats from you. I'd really love to see you again, Klaus. And I hope that I can redeem the first impression that my brother left with you, Rebekah. So why don't you two visit us in our house? We'll have some tea and biscuits, like you English, love to have. What do you say?" Caroline asked, silently gauging the siblings' reaction.

It was Rebekah who broke the silence.

"That would be nice, Caroline. We'd love to."

Nik threw her a questioning look and Rebekah only nodded in response.

"Well, I guess we'll be seeing more of each other, sweetheart." he said, as he stood up to make way for Caroline.

Caroline leaned closer to him and adjusted the tie on his suit. She smiled as she notice his eyes linger on her hands.

"I'm looking forward to it, Klaus." she said, as she slipped a paper onto his breast pocket.

She closed the distance between them, her lips ghosting on his. She heard a low growl in his throat and smirked.

"Goodnight, Klaus. Until next time, _love_." In a flash, she was gone.

* * *

Author's Note: It's my first TVD story so please bear with me. They're out of character for a reason, so please be patient. As for the pairings, I just wanted to take my time in creating tension between the two couples. More Klaroline and Stebekah interactions next chapter. Smut warning.

Reviews are very much welcome. Constructive criticism is also welcome. Any prompt requests are also encouraged. I'll use as much as you readers give me. I am here to please you.


	2. The First Family

Author's note: Hello, everyone! Thank you very much for your reviews and follows. As you know, this is my first ever multi-chapter story so I'm in need of a beta. If any of you are interested in editing my story, a quick note in the reviews or a short PM will do. We'll take it from there.

I've also gotten requests regarding the other couple pairings for this story. Don't worry, I'll give them all their shining moments soon. For now, let's take things slow.

Summary: AU / Original Vampire, Caroline Salvatore, will stop at nothing to break her Hybrid curse. Running from their father, Alaric, Stefan and Caroline come across Niklaus and Rebekah Mikaelson in the 1920's. Fearing that they were getting too close, Caroline compels them to forget, and daggers Stefan. Only for the four of them to meet again in 2012. Klaroline / Stebekah

* * *

Mid Eighth Century

Caroline eyed her opponent warily as she shifted the heavy sword in her hands. She took deep breaths to regulate her breathing as she looked for an opening in her adversary's defence. With one last steadying breath, she lunged at her challenger, wielding her sword at him.

Damon took a step back, effectively dodging the blow of her sword. He swung his own swiftly in her direction without a moment's hesitation. She silently cursed as a red gash appeared on her forearm, where the Damon's blade sliced her skin. The sword in her hand suddenly felt heavier in hands as the cut began to bleed.

She frowned as she saw him grinning at his handiwork. She gripped the handle tightly as she spotted a slight limp in his posture. Most likely from the small injury he had sustained while hunting down a wild boar earlier. She took this as her opportunity to strike, and swung her sword at him, just like how he trained her to.

The action took him by surprise as he struggled to block her sword with his. Metal clashed against each other as the two opponents fought for victory. Damon let out a strangled groan as Caroline's sword finally met it's desired target. He dropped his hesitantly as he reached down to assess the damage on his right leg.

Caroline gasped at the rapidly bleeding wound on her brother's leg. She tossed her sword aside as well as she strode to aid her brother.

"I'm sorry, brother. It seems that I may have been carried away by the fight. I did not mean to maim you" she said. Caroline roughly tore the hem of her dirtied dress as she tied it tightly around her older brother's leg as a makeshift tourniquet.

Damon chuckled in response. "Don't fret, Cara Mia. This is only a flesh wound. It would take so much more to maim me"

Caroline gave a small him as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Father would be much displeased to know that you have been making our dearest Caroline cry, brother" Stefan said, as he made his presence known to his siblings.

Damon rolled his at his younger brother. "You slay me with your words, dear brother" he said sarcastically.

Stefan only grinned in response. "I believe our dearest Caroline has already done the slaying for me, Damon"

Caroline giggled at her brothers' silly antics as Stefan extended his arm to help Damon up. With love swelling in her heart, she stood up and brought her arms around the two men. The brothers shared a look before smiling down at the blonde girl as they returned her embrace.

"Come now, let's get those wounds treated before they begin to fester" Stefan said, as he moved to break the embrace.

The three of them made their way to the Salvatore's hut. It was easily spotted from a few yards away. The chief's hut had always been the biggest one in the village.

The smell of food assaulted their senses as they entered the hut. A tall, young blonde woman stood, preparing the food for the night's supper. She looked up at the three siblings as they made their way inside.

"I was wondering where you three wandered off to. Father was looking for you all day" she said as she wiped her hands to hug her siblings.

She stopped midway as she eyed the cut on Caroline's forearm and the bleeding gash on Damon's leg. She tutted at both of them. "Stefan, why don't you attend to Damon's leg while I clean up the wound on Caroline's arm?"

Stefan nodded at his eldest sister before escorting Damon to his hut.

"Come now, Caroline. Why don't you sit down over there while I get some herbs for that cut?" the older blonde said, as she moved about to find the necessary herbs.

Caroline nervously wrung her hands together as she hesitantly took a seat. She threw worried glances at the older blonde, anxious about the lecture that was inevitably coming.

The older blonde returned with a few fresh herbs in hand and a wet towel cloth. She gently cleaned the younger blonde's wound wordlessly.

"Caroline…" she started, wanting to put the younger blonde at ease.

It had the opposite effect on Caroline, as the sudden call of her name caught her off guard and caused her to flinch. "I'm sorry, Lexi. Please do not be angry with me" she said, her voice cracking.

Lexi placed the wet cloth on the side as she shook her head and moved to embrace Caroline.

"I am not mad, dear sister. How could anyone be mad at you, sweet Caroline? I am merely worried about you. We have both lost so much that I am on edge for what the future holds for all of us. I do not wish to lose you too, Cara" Lexi said, as she patted the younger blonde's arm soothingly.

"I am truly blessed to have siblings like you, sister. I dare not imagine my fate if Father had not saved me from those horrible wolves a fortnight ago" Caroline said, as she held onto her older sister tightly.

Lexi let out a small sigh. She did not dare to imagine that either.

* * *

_Caroline could hear her heart thumping in her chest, its loud insistent beating has been ringing in her ears for last few miles. She couldn't remember how long she had been running. She did not know where she was going. She simply took off wherever her legs could take her. _

_Tears ran down as she moved to wipe them off. Her vision blurred further as she realized her mistake. Her hands were still wet from the blood of her family, and her action had only caused her to smear blood on her eyes. She quickly wiped it off with her sleeve as she ran away from the approaching howls of the wolves behind her._

_She spotted shadows a few yards away, as she pushed her legs to run into that direction. She silently hoped that her eyes were not deceiving her. Voices started to find their way to her ears as the last dose of adrenaline propelled her way into the small clearing._

_Three sets of eyes gazed at the young woman that had suddenly appeared before them as she unceremoniously dropped on the ground from exhaustion. The eldest male quickly made his way to help the woman off the ground as the nearing howls pierced the silent night. The younger males tensed as they held their swords defensively._

_The eldest male scooped the young woman in her arms as he nodded to the two younger males. They started to run towards their village, fear coursing through them as the howls seemed to become louder and louder. The eldest had taken the lead, running as fast as he could without injuring the young lady in his arms, while the two younger males followed behind._

_Just as the village appeared on the horizon, two large wolves blocked their path. The eldest male nodded at the two younger men and made his way around the wolves. The two remaining men moved to cover their father, as he escaped with the young man in his arms._

_Alaric's legs felt like giving out, but he could not give up now. He smiled to himself as he found himself outside his hut. He threw a glance behind him as he saw his two sons trailing a bit far behind him, with their bloodied swords in hand. _

_A woman came out of the hut, with a pot in hand. One look at her family's dishevelled state had caused her to drop the pot on the ground. She rushed to her father's side as she gazed down on the young lady in his arms._

_"What happened, father? Who is that?" she asked frantically._

_Lexi motioned her father to bring the young lady into her hut. Alaric set down the girl in his arms onto his daughter's bed as his daughter stepped out to gather the necessary herbs._

_Caroline began to stir, suddenly aware of her foreign surroundings. She quickly shot up to a sitting position as her eyes fell on an older man sitting on the bed. She inched away from him, scared that he was one of the wolves after her._

_"Who are you? What do you want with me?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes. She was terrified, but her pride had let her keep her composure in tact for the time being._

_The older gentleman gave a hesitant smile, not wanting to scare the young girl away. "My name is Alaric Salvatore. My sons and I were out hunting at night in the forest when you stumbled across us. You had fainted right after you appeared in the clearing where we were. We heard the howls of the wolves from the neighbouring village and made the decision to take you with us for your safety" he said, eyeing her carefully, waiting for her reaction._

_Caroline let out a breath that she did not know she was holding and visibly relaxed._

_Lexi returned with a basin of water, a clean cloth, and a few herbs in hand. Caroline's attention strayed from Alaric to the new presence in the hut. _

_"This is my eldest daughter, Alexis. You may call her Lexi. She will tend to your wounds, and will gladly offer you new dresses to wear" Alaric said, as he stood up and helped set up the materials in Lexi's hands._

_"Father, where is she?" a male voice asked, as two young men entered the hut._

_Caroline sat up straighter, causing Lexi to turn towards her younger brothers and glare at their brashness._

_"Caroline, these are my sons, Damon and Stefan" Alaric introduced, as he motioned towards the two other males in the room._

_Caroline took in their dirtied and bloodied appearance. She bit her trembling lip as tears flooded her eyes once more. Lexi moved closer as she held the younger girl in her arms as quiet sobs began to rock her body._

_"Thank you for saving my life" Caroline said quietly._

_Damon and Stefan each offered a small nod in acknowledgment before making their way to exit the hut._

_"You may stay with our family as long as you like, Caroline. May I know the name of your father, dear child? So that I can send word to him of your safety" Alaric said._

_Caroline shook her head violently. "My family is dead, Alaric. The wolves slaughtered them in the night. I was lucky to leave with my life. I had nowhere to go, but I ran as far as I could from those monsters. It was then that I stumbled upon you and your sons in the forest. I cannot thank you enough for the protection that you have provided a mere stranger" _

_Alaric smiled at her and moved closer to sit beside her. On her other side was Lexi, holding her hand encouragingly._

_"We, too, know what it is like to lose family. My wife, Isobel, had died giving birth to our youngest, Stefan. All three of my children had been too young to comprehend the loss, but we all felt it all the same. My offer to stay with my family stands, Caroline. We do not wish to replace the loving memories that your family undoubtedly holds in your heart. Rather, we are offering a chance for you to make new memories of being in family. We will be here as long as you need us" Alaric said as he patted Caroline's shoulder._

_"Thank you, Alaric. You have been most kind" she said._

_Alaric smiled at her in return. "I take it that you will be taking me up on my offer and stay with us?" _

_She nodded. "Yes, as long as your family will have me. I am forever in your debt, Alaric."_

_"Please, call me Father." _

* * *

After changing down from her dirtied dress robes into something more appropriate, she made her way back to Lexi to help prepare for supper. It was then that she came across her older brother, Stefan. A stunning brunette was by his side.

"Caroline, I want you to meet Tatia. She is to be my wife" Stefan said, as he introduced the beautiful woman beside him.

Caroline smiled and nodded.

"Caroline, it's almost time for supper. Come now, let's prepare before Father and Damon come back" Lexi called out, frowning at the woman beside her younger brother.

"It was nice meeting you, Tatia" Caroline offered a small wave, before making her way to Lexi.

Once out of earshot, Lexi grabbed her hand and pulled her in towards the entrance of the hut. "I do not trust that woman, Caroline. Neither should you. She may have all the men in the village fooled with her charm and looks but I am wiser than that. She continues to lead our younger brother Stefan on while she shamelessly entertains other men's advances. She already bore another man's child, and has refused to name the father of her baby. I fear that it is because the father is another woman's husband. Consider yourself warned, dear child. Do not let her fool you."

The younger blonde only nodded in response. She had learned to keep to herself in the village. She held the older blonde's opinions in high regard and had decided against getting to know the brunette woman she met earlier.

"Hello, Lexi. Here are the herbs that you requested earlier" a female voice said, interrupting Caroline from her thoughts.

Caroline directed her gaze towards the entrance of the hut, where an dark skinned woman stood carrying a basket of herbs.

The dark skinned woman smiled at Caroline as she extended her hand.

"I am Ayanna Bennett. Sorry to startle you, dear. I have heard that the chief had rescued a girl in the forest from the neighbouring wolves. I hope that you have been coping well since then"

Caroline shook the older woman's hand and said, "Yes, the Salvatores have been nothing but kind to me"

Ayanna frowned down at Caroline's hand as she shook it, a worried expression gracing her features.

"What is your name, child?" she asked, more forcibly than she had wanted.

Caroline dropped her hand, suddenly scared of the older woman's forwardness.

Lexi dried her hands with a cloth before making her way towards Ayanna. "Don't scare her, Ayanna. My sister has already been through enough." Lexi scolded.

"Forgive me, my dear. I should blame my old age for my forwardness. It was not my intention to scare you. I hope that I can redeem myself in your eyes. Here, take these herbs" Ayanna offered, as she placed the basket into Caroline's hands.

"Lexi, if you will, please accompany me on my way back to my hut. I have a few other herbs that may be of interest to you" the older woman said, as she motioned to Lexi to follow her outside.

"Caroline, why don't you start the preparations. Are you familiar with herbs?" Lexi asked.

Caroline only nodded in return.

"Good. Feel free to use any of what Ayanna has brought to us. I will be back shortly, dear sister." Lexi said, as she made her way out of the hut.

"I do not appreciate your actions, Ayanna" Lexi warned, as she followed her friend into her hut.

"I apologize, Lexi. I did not mean to offend your sister. I am merely concerned for your family's safety." Ayanna said, as she offered Lexi a seat.

"Caroline is family, Ayanna. I appreciate your concern, old friend. It is indeed alarming to have a stranger live in your home but she is harmless. She is perhaps one of the sweetest people I know" the blonde said.

"As I've mentioned, I did not mean any offense. I sensed her pure heart when I touched her hand"

Lexi looked sceptically at the woman across her. "So what is the matter, Ayanna? What causes you to worry for my family?"

Ayanna sighed. "I picked up on something else when I touched her hand. She came from one of the villages nearest to the neighbouring wolves. She is part wolf, Lexi. I am scared that the wolves will come to our village in search of her. As harmless as that child is, I fear that she may only bring danger to your family."

* * *

Author's Note: I know I'm going in an unbelievably slow Klaroline pace but I want to cover as much background as I can so that we can have smooth sailing for the later chapters. Don't worry, I've got it all plotted out. For the next chapter, we'll know how the Salvatores were made into vampires, and Caroline's Hybrid curse. That, and the Mikaelsons make their reappearance!

See you next chapter, sweethearts. For now, drop me review and tell me what you think so far.


	3. The First Taste

Author's Note: Thank you again for all the reviews, favourites, and follows. However, I am the type of author who loves interacting with my readers. I'm eager to know what you think of my little story, so as part of the Christmas spirit, I'll be starting my promo. Drop me a review (if you're on anon, leave an email address), the review can be good or bad as long as it's YOUR opinion. I'll be happy to read it. In return, I will be sending you a preview copy of Chapter 4. Let the festivities begin!

Summary: AU / Original Vampire, Caroline Salvatore, will stop at nothing to break her Hybrid curse. Running from their father, Alaric, Stefan and Caroline come across Niklaus and Rebekah Mikaelson in the 1920's. Fearing that they were getting too close, Caroline compels them to forget, and daggers Stefan. Only for the four of them to meet again in 2012. Klaroline / Stebekah

* * *

The ride home had been silent and tense, but Klaus couldn't find the right words to say. Rebekah's hand was still slightly shaking as Klaus helped her out of their car. They made their way towards the door of the townhouse they were currently residing in, just within the outskirts of Chicago.

Klaus abruptly stopped a few feet shy from the door, causing Rebekah to question him. He placed his finger to his lips and motioned her to be quiet. Rebekah nodded and took a step back as she let her older brother take charge.

He narrowed his eyes at the door, looking warily at the slight opening in the entrance of their current residence. Someone had broken in, and had no intention about being subtle about it.

Klaus took a possessive stance in front of his little sister as the faint sounds of footsteps became more pronounced by the second. He cursed under his breath. The night was definitely becoming more disastrous than he ever intended.

Finally, a shadow appeared towards the doorway as the hinges creaked to reveal the intruder.

Rebekah gasped in surprise, as Klaus was left to stare wide eyed in belief at the figure in front of them.

"Forgive me for the late night intrusion. I thought that you had both left the city by now. I couldn't quite understand what kept me to wait in here but it seems that my patience has been rewarded" the man said, smiling warmly.

Rebekah ran towards him and enveloped in a tight embrace.

"Brother, I've missed you." she said, as she sobbed uncontrollably in her older brother's arms.

Elijah shot an inquisitive look at Klaus, as the latter mouthed _later_. Elijah nodded and motioned to come inside.

"Let's get you out of the cold, darling" he said, as he guided his little sister inside.

Klaus sighed and followed his siblings.

It seemed that the night was only beginning.

"Don't tell me our sister has gotten her heart broken yet again" Elijah commented, as he handed a glass of bourbon to Klaus.

Rebekah had fallen asleep moments ago in her room upstairs from exhaustion.

Klaus looked pensively at his older brother as he swirled the amber liquid in hand. Elijah might be his older brother, but he has yet to say the reason for his sudden visit. He has yet to give Klaus a reason to trust him.

"You could say that" Klaus answered. He decided to keep his answers vague for now. At least until he learns of Elijah's real motives.

Elijah sighed. "Niklaus, I would appreciate if you would stop acting as if I'm going to drive a stake in your heart any second now."

Klaus laughed bitterly. "Apologies, brother. The last time we saw each other was around half a century ago in Vienna. As I remember correctly, we did not part on the best of terms so excuse me if I am too wary of you."

Elijah assessed his younger sibling and downed the contents of his drink before setting the glass on the counter table.

"How much do you about the Originals?" the older sibling asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid. They say there are five Originals, all of which vampires have been created from. That's about it, I guess" Klaus said, still keeping up with the pretence of vagueness.

"Well, you are right. There were five Originals. Although only four walk among us"

Klaus raised his eyebrow. This was news to him. How intriguing.

"One of the five Originals was the Original Witch. She was not a vampire. She was the one who placed the spell to make her father and siblings immortal. As granting immortality upsets the balance of nature, she sacrificed her life as payment." Elijah continued as he stood up to refill the empty glass on the counter.

"How do you know this much about them, brother?" Klaus asked.

"I am seeing a Petrova doppelganger." he said simply, as he took his seat on the couch. His eyes flickered to his younger siblings face and saw the recognition in his eyes.

"I know that you know more than what you're letting on, Niklaus. Although, as your older brother, I suppose there's no harm in humouring you."

Klaus clenched his jaw in response. Elijah had always been too smart for his own good.

"As you may know, the Originals were made immortal by drinking the blood of a sacrificial woman, Tatia Petrova. Before she died, she gave birth to a child out of wedlock, allowing her bloodline to produce a doppelganger. The lady of whose company I've been with for the last few weeks had been the first doppelganger, Katherine Petrova."

Klaus had been aware of the back story of the Originals. It was only natural for him to want to dig up all the information he could possibly have on the most powerful family in the world of vampires. Knowledge was power after all.

He stayed silent as he looked on to his older brother to continue.

"Katherine was seduced by Stefan Salvatore in the early 1490's. She had been invited to stay with the Salvatores under the pretence of courtship, only to find out the underlying truth of their invitation."

The blonde vampire sat up straighter in reflex upon hearing Stefan's name. It had only been hours ago since he felt boiling rage towards the Original that his fury was reignited just by the mention of his name.

"Let me guess, your doppelganger finally realized she was in over her head and was about to be offered as the sacrificial lamb?" Klaus drawled, suddenly growing bored of the conversation.

"Precisely. Although I'm not entirely surprised that you know that much, Niklaus. I was right to presume you were withholding information from me" Elijah said, as he frowned at the blonde man sitting across him.

"I do not trust you, brother, in case you have yet to pick up on that sentiment. I refuse to believe that you came all the way here for story time. Why are you really here, Elijah?" Klaus spat.

Elijah merely chuckled in response. "Tell me, brother, are you aware of the Sun and the Moon curse?"

Klaus frowned. "Of course. That was the curse that your lovely doppelganger found herself being the sacrificial lamb for, wasn't it?"

"What if I told you that it's nothing but a well thought off ruse?"

Elijah watched as disbelief flooded his younger brother's features.

"Do not test me, Elijah. I do not have time for your games" Klaus warned.

The older vampire shook his head. "No games, Niklaus. The ritual that requires the sacrifice of a Petrova doppelganger is done to reverse the curse that dead witches placed on one of the Originals"

Klaus took a sharp intake of breath, as he tried to process the newly learned information.

"Which one?" he asked, hopeful that his voice would not give him away.

"The youngest one, Caroline Salvatore" Elijah said, patiently waiting for his younger brother's reaction.

The blonde gulped and nodded curtly. "Well, that's the first I've heard of it, that's for sure" he offered, weakly.

"Not a lot are privy to that information, Niklaus. Knowing you, I trust that you'll be keeping it that way."

"So what was the curse placed on the Original?" Klaus asked, carefully avoiding using Caroline's name.

"She had the werewolf gene in her. When she became a vampire, her bloodlust pushed her to kill people, which triggered the werewolf curse. When the dead witches found out, they placed a curse on her to keep her werewolf side dormant."

"So you're telling me that one of the Originals is a hybrid? That sounds ridiculous, brother. How do I know that you're not filling my head with lies?" Klaus asked, as he banged in fist onto the table in front of him.

"I see no benefits of lying to your face, Niklaus. I am only relaying to you what Katherine was kind enough to impart to me"

Klaus shook his head in disbelief at his brother. "You are so quick to believe a mere woman about things that do not concern us at all. If she were to be sacrificed, how did she even live long enough to tell you the tale?"

"Even though Stefan Salvatore had been the one to seduce Katherine, it was the older Salvatore brother who found himself caring for her. He set her free on the night of the sacrifice. She stumbled onto vampire servants in the castle and manipulated her way into getting turned into one of them, rendering her blood useless. Although, it seems that giving birth to a child is somewhat of a Petrova behavioural pattern. Only Katherine and her family knew of her child. With news of Katherine's escape, Stefan retaliated by killing every single person in the Petrova bloodline, all except for the child that was given way."

"As amusing as your night time story is, brother, you have yet to answer my earlier question. Why the need for story time? Why leave the company of your beloved doppelganger, and spend it lurking around a house you thought your siblings have abandoned?" Klaus asked. Even though Elijah was able to provide him important information, he was still wary of the price he was sure to be asked to pay.

"I am here as a warning, dear brother." he simply answered, causing Klaus to ball his fists in anger.

"To warn us of what?" Klaus growled, his temper getting the best of him.

"The eldest Salvatore, Alaric, or Papa Original as I like to call him is the vampire who hunts vampires. It is said that during his transition from human to vampire, the dead witches had managed to corrupt him. With the persuasion from the witches from the other side, he vowed to rid of the abomination that the Original Witch created. Although I'm positive to assume that you already knew that."

"You're testing my patience, Elijah. I said no more games."

Elijah stood up as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder to calm him down.

"I am here to warn you that Alaric is on his way to Chicago. No vampire will be safe. Please take Rebekah and go somewhere far away." he said, as he vanished into the silence of the townhouse.

* * *

"Alfred, I said Earl Grey loose tea leaves, not stupid tea bags!" Caroline said, scolding the man as he scurried to fulfill his master's request.

Caroline let out a shriek of frustration. This whole English tea business was dissolving her into a neurotic mess.

"You really like that creep, don't you?" Stefan asked. He rolled his eyes at her as he made his way across the room to her side.

Caroline pouted at her older brother. "Is it so bad to enjoy the company of a fellow vampire every once in a while?" she asked.

Stefan frowned at her. He knew where this conversation was leading and he didn't like it one bit.

"Do you not enjoy my company anymore, dear sister?" he asked, playing her game.

Caroline scoffed at him in response.

"Please, Stefan" she begged him as she moved towards him and straightened out the wrinkles on his dress shirt. "I like him. Just indulge me, brother. Pretty please?" she asked, as she pouted at him, looking younger than her thousand years.

Stefan sighed, knowing he was defeated. Even as a Ripper, he found that he could never deny Caroline of what she wanted. "What do you want me to do?" he groaned, admitting his defeat out loud.

Caroline squealed in victory and hugged her older brother, causing Stefan to chuckle.

"I just want you to be on your best behavior. Do you think that you can manage that for one single afternoon?" she asked, letting go of his embrace.

"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything" he said, shrugging.

Caroline pouted at him again, and stared at him with silently pleading eyes. Stefan sighed once more. "Fine, you have my word."

Caroline grinned.

"Good. For a moment there, I thought I was losing my touch. Now, why don't you grab a drink and a change of clothes before they get here? I find you so much more agreeable to strangers when your system is pumped with fresh human blood." she said to him, shooing him away.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of Stefan killing another maid. She shook her head slightly to clear her mind as she focused on the task at hand.

The invitations that she sent out had stated 2 PM, and it was already 10 minutes before 2. She had to hurry if she wanted to at least retain some dignity after the tea party.

* * *

"Stefan, be a dear and get the door, please?" she called out from the kitchen.

Stefan rolled his eyes and walked towards the front door. He took his time, moving at human speed, not wanting to confront the vampires on the other side of the door.

"Welcome to our home." Stefan said, as he greeted the siblings before him.

Rebekah gave him a strained smile, while Klaus offered a curt nod in response.

"Don't worry, I've already promised Caroline to be on my best behavior this afternoon. So I won't bite unless you bite. Fair enough, darling?" he asked, directing his question to the blonde woman.

Klaus instinctively placed his hand on her shoulder as support as he growled at the Original.

Rebekah found the courage to scoff at the Original, causing Stefan to chuckle at her reaction. He opened the double doors wider and motioned for the siblings to follow him inside.

Klaus threw Rebekah a worried glance before he followed her to where Stefan was leading them.

"Klaus, Rebekah! It's so wonderful to have you here. Thank you for letting me host this tea party. I just adore organizing parties!" Caroline said, as she greeted them.

She was wearing a yellow sundress that reached her knees, as she stood up to hug them both. Klaus felt his whole body tense at the sudden body contact.

"Thank you for having us, Caroline. I absolutely just love tea parties!" Rebekah said, gaining confidence in the company of the Originals.

Caroline smiled at her. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a true English lady, Rebekah. Please take a seat" she said, as she motioned to the sofa across from her.

Caroline took a seat in one of the sofas as Stefan took the seat beside her. The Mikaelsons promptly sat on the sofa across the table.

"You outshine the sun in yellow, love." Klaus said, directing a smirk at Caroline.

Stefan scowled at the vampire.

"I have no use for your compliments, Mr. Mikaelson but they are still very much appreciated" Caroline said with a wink.

Rebekah stifled a giggle as she watched Stefan struggle to contain his rage.

"Milk and sugar?" Caroline asked, being the perfect host.

"None for me, sweetheart." Klaus replied, as he watched Caroline pour tea into his cup. He was having a hard time focusing as the sight of Caroline in a sundress was doing all sorts of things to his concentration.

"What about you, Bekah?" Caroline asked, turning her attention to the other blonde woman in the room.

"Milk and one, please" Rebekah answered, still eyeing the angry vampire across from her. She mumbled a quick thanks as she was handed her cup. She took an initial sip before cringing at the taste. It was horrible. She sneaked a glance at Klaus and caught him cringing as well.

"How is it?" Caroline asked, gauging the siblings' reactions.

"Horrible", "Wonderful" they exclaimed at the same time.

Rebekah turned to her brother, terrified by his audacity to insult their host. "Have you lost your mind, brother?" she hissed at him as she smiled awkwardly at Caroline.

Caroline sighed as she placed her own cup down. "I know it tastes terrible, Bekah. Although, thank you for being polite."

Rebekah glared at her older brother as she watched as the Original's shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment.

"How about I teach you how to make a proper cup of English tea, sweetheart?" Klaus offered, as he stood up and offered his arm to the Original across him.

Caroline giggled in response as she linked her arm in his. "I would love that"

Throwing a sideway glance at her older brother, she grinned as she led Klaus to the kitchen.

"Try not to kill each other, darlings. I don't appreciate blood on the floor!" she playfully called out to the remaining occupants of the room.

Rebekah stared appalled at the other vampire in the room, causing him to wink at her.

* * *

Once they found themselves alone in the kitchen, Klaus slammed Caroline against the wall.

Caroline gasped as she felt his lips assault her neck with a trail of soft kisses while his hands wandered, exploring every curve of her body. His grip steadied on her hips as his lips crashed onto hers. Caroline moaned, as she opened her mouth wider, allowing his tongue entrance. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her fingers roughly played with his hair. He groaned as she pulled him closer to her, eliminating the space between them.

His kisses alternated between soft and rough, causing heat to pool between her legs. His hand wandered up to cup her neck as his other remained on her hip. She could only moan in response as he continued his attack on her lips. She heard him growl as her core brushed lightly against his erection.

He gently nipped at her bottom lip, before resting his forehead against hers. He was panting heavily, but so was she. Her head was dizzyingly heavy from the burning touch of his lips. It was as if he had set her entire body on fire. He smirked down at her, pleased at the reaction she was giving him. Pride swelled in his chest knowing that he was responsible for her current ravished state.

"I'm beginning to think that teaching me how to make a proper cup of English tea was merely a ruse to get me alone and have your wicked way with me" she whispered as she licked her lips.

"You really think that low of me?" he whispered back.

"Yes" she cheekily replied.

"You wound me, sweetheart." he replied, stepping out of her embrace as he clutched his heart in mock pain. She giggled at his antics and playfully swatted her arm.

"Now, care to show me where you keep the tea leaves, darling?" he asked as he glanced around the kitchen.

"You weren't kidding, were you?" she asked as she moved around to fetch the small container beside the stove.

Klaus chuckled at her. "Of course not, Caroline. It's almost criminal that a beautiful woman such as yourself can only produce such atrocious tasting tea."

Caroline frowned at him, unhappy at the reminder of poor tea making skills.

"I had an English lover once. He was so uptight about his tea. He would drone on and on about the proper way of making it. I knew I should've listened but I was too preoccupied at the time by putting his tongue to better use" she said, knowing the exact buttons to push.

Klaus growled at her and roughly pulled her body against his. "I will not have you talking about other men in my presence, love. You'll find that I'm a very jealous man." he said, as he kissed her.

Before she could respond, he had already released his hold on her, leaving her bewildered at the loss of body heat.

* * *

"The key to making English tea is to boil the water. Lukewarm water won't do." Klaus said, as he hovered over Caroline. His arms encircled her waist as she leaned in towards him. He dipped his head towards the crook of her neck as he breathed in the scent of vanilla and strawberries.

He trailed kisses on her body, beginning from temple, working his way down to her neck once again. She moaned as his lips hit a sensitive spot on the side of her exposed neck. She suddenly felt his fangs lightly grazing her skin, lingering enough without piercing it. She rubbed her legs reflexively, eager to create some friction.

The tea kettle whistled, signalling boiling temperature.

"Remember, love, a teaspoon of tea leaves per person is enough. Make sure that the tea leaves don't soak for too long, it'll only make it bitter. No one wants that" he whispered, as he continued his ministrations. Caroline could only nod her head in agreement. She placed three teaspoons of tea in the pot as the last few coherent thoughts left her mind.

Klaus smirked against her skin, enjoying the way her body reacted to his. His arm untangled itself from her waist as it made its way down to her thighs, causing a large intake of breath from Caroline. His fingers ghosted at the hem of her dress, lightly brushing against her soft skin. She gasped as he swirled circles against her inner thigh, his knuckles rubbing against her growing arousal.

"Klaus, the tea's going to end up bitter if you don't stop with your teasing" she scolded.

"Then you should've worn a different dress, sweetheart" he growled, as he spun her around and kissed her urgently.

A female scream suddenly pierced their ears, causing them to break apart.

They looked at each other in panic.

"Rebekah", "Stefan" they hissed simultaneously.

* * *

Author's note: Well, well, well. It seems that everyone's being naughty in the Salvatore household. I hope that makes up for the lack of Klaroline scenes in the last chapter. Instead of another flashback chapter, I decided to have Elijah tell the story of the Originals. Anyone here fans of Kalijah?

Remember to drop me a review, and I'll send you a treat in response. 4 pages of Chapter 4. Until next chapter, sweethearts!


	4. The First Farewell

Author's note: Hello, everyone! Apologies for the lack of update on this story. Although, if you took part in the promo last chapter, you would've received a copy of the preview of this chapter. As I can't really promise a steady interval between updates, I will be extending my promo until the end of this story.

Promo: Anyone who reviews the latest uploaded chapter will be rewarded with a preview of the next chapter. If you're reviewing as anonymous, please leave your email address so I can send it the copy to you.

Also, I've got a new story up. The Law of Proximity. If you love some Klefan/Klaroline/Steroline/Klefaroline, be sure to check it out.

Summary: Caroline Salvatore is the Original Hybrid determined to break her curse. While on the run from their father, Alaric, Stefan and Caroline meet Klaus and Rebekah in the 1920's. When Alaric catches up to them, Caroline compels Klaus and Rebekah to forget, and daggers Stefan. When the doppelganger appears once more in 2012, Caroline and Klaus meet again but this time as enemies. AU.

* * *

"How was your visit?" a female voice called out.

Elijah set aside the bourbon in his hand and turned towards the figure standing in the doorway.

"It went just as I expected it would" he replied, as he made his way to sit in one of the couches in the living room.

The figure continued to linger in the doorway, seemingly hesitant to carry on the conversation she had started.

"I'd offer you a drink but we both know that you're not here to stay long, Katerina" he offered, raising an eyebrow.

Katherine flashed him a tight smile in response. "You were always too smart for your own good, Elijah. I would take you up on that drink but I believe we had a deal. I'm here to collect"

Elijah let out a humorless laugh and threw a condescending stare at her. "Are you trying to intimidate me, my dear?"

She glared at him, her fists curling into a ball. She stayed silent. In all her vampire years, she had learned to carefully pick her battles. Tonight was one of them. Even though she could easily overpower the younger vampire, he still held the stronger position in their chess game.

"You still don't trust the information I gave you" she said, realizing the real cause for his delay.

Elijah stood up and strode to where she was standing. Katherine's breath hitched as he stopped only a few inches short of her face. He gazed down at her, scrutinizing her face.

"I don't trust you, Katerina. You have to remember, darling, I know all about you. I know your games and most of all, I know every single play in your extensive playbook. It would be an understatement to say I don't trust every word that comes out that pretty little mouth of yours" he snarled, causing her to shiver involuntarily. "Although, I have to say, I'm flattered at your good sense to be frightened" he added, smirking for good measure.

At the sight of his smirk, Katherine's patience snapped. She swung her arm and slapped him, causing him to stumble on his feet. "Don't forget who you're talking to, Elijah. I don't appreciate cheek, especially from younger vampires like you" she growled.

Elijah quickly gained his composure. He slowly dusted his suit dramatically before raising another well sculptured eyebrow at her. "You may be a few centuries older, Katerina, but I hold your weakness. It'd be best if you play nice before I show you what a real vampire is"

"What else do you want? I already told you everything I know. I held up my end of the bargain, now it's time to hold up yours" Katherine said, as she stared at the younger vampire with pursed lips and trembling hands.

"As I've mentioned, I don't exactly trust you. I suppose you're right, though. It's only fair that I hold up my end of the bargain as well. I am a man of my word, after all." he said, as he procured a small brown envelope from his breast pocket.

Katherine eyed the envelope warily, as the younger vampire handed it to her with a congenial smile.

"Come on, Katerina. It won't bite" he said mockingly. "Inside you'll find the current address of the last surviving descendant of your bloodline."

She stared down at the envelope in her hands. It took her a second to realize that her fingers were trembling from anticipation.

"Run along now, Katerina, before I change my mind" he said as he turned around, suddenly uninterested in keeping the conversation alive any longer.

Katherine glanced up to at him and nodded slightly before leaving the house, shutting the door on her way out.

* * *

Caroline and Klaus frantically made their way towards the screaming voice in the living room.

"You've got to be kidding me" Caroline growled, as she stopped at the sight welcoming her.

Klaus trailed behind, barely able to catch up with the older vampire's speed. His attention shifted to the bodies that were strewn across the living room floor.

"I can't believe you, Stefan! How dare you spill blood on our living room carpet? Can you please stop feeding on that maid and listen to me for a second?" Caroline yelled, as she stepped over a lifeless body on the floor.

Klaus dared to steal a quick glance at the seething blonde beside him before closing his eyes and preventing the smile that was creeping to his face. Despite the reasons he held for despising the older male vampire, he had to mentally applaud him for his theatrics.

Stefan detached his fangs from the maid's neck as he cradled her frail body in his arms. He took in the anger flashing brightly in his younger sister's eyes and grinned boyishly at her. He glanced backwards towards the younger blonde in the room, currently feeding on another maid, unaware of the current situation that was unfolding.

It took Klaus a moment before he followed Stefan's gaze to find Rebekah savagely tearing into the maid's jugular. His admiration for the older vampire faded just as quickly as it came. "What did you do to her?" he growled menacingly, as he flashed towards his sister.

"I want more!" Rebekah screamed, as Klaus yanked her away from the dying woman. "Let me go, Nik! I want more! Give me more blood!" she yelled, as she trashed and struggled in her older brother's arms.

Klaus glared at the older vampire, as he watched Stefan careless throw the maid's body on the ground, not bothering to wipe the excess blood on his face.

"You two were taking so long playing taste-my-tonsils that I got bored and decided to entertain myself" Stefan said, as he stepped over the bodies on the floor and sat down on his previous spot on the sofa.

Caroline crossed her arms, still angry at her older brother's actions. "You said you'd behave, Stef. I can't believe you! You make me so angry sometimes!" she huffed, as she sat beside him, turning away from his direction.

"If you weren't too busy jumping baby vampires in our kitchen then none of this would've happened. I'm still your older brother, Caroline. I don't appreciate you turning our home into a whorehouse" Stefan spat.

Caroline stared at her older brother, mouth agape in shock. Before she could retort, Klaus stepped in and cleared his throat, drawing both their attentions onto him.

"Sorry to interrupt your display of sibling affection but mine is currently out of control with bloodlust. Anyone care to help?" he drawled, quickly gesturing to the struggling blonde in his arms.

Stefan sighed and stood up. He walked towards the siblings and cupped Rebekah's face. Klaus eyed him suspiciously as he watched Stefan demand his sister's full attention.

"You're going to calm down, Rebekah. You've already had your fill of blood for the day. Now go sit down. You understand me?" Rebekah nodded in response. "Good girl" Stefan said, grinning down at the blonde.

Klaus felt her relax in his arms as she straightened her gait and made her way to one of the couches. Klaus followed her, but not before throwing Stefan a quick glare.

"So it's true then" Klaus said, breaking the silence between the four vampires.

The other three occupants in the room directed their questioning gaze at him as they waited for him to elaborate. Klaus merely rolled his eyes as he took a sip from his tea.

After the feeding of the maids fiasco, Caroline had summoned the remaining maids to clean up the mess and re-make the obviously ruined tea in the kitchen. It took all four compelled maids to dispose all the bloodied up corpses strewn on the floor.

"That an original vampire can compel other vampires." Klaus said nonchalantly. On the outside, he tried to pass off as uninterested, but on the inside, he was almost begging for confirmation for what he had witnessed earlier.

Caroline shrugged. "I suppose. We originals do enjoy a certain number of luxuries that are certainly not included in the average vampire's bag of tricks"

"Interesting. What would be those tricks then, love?" Klaus asked, this time not bothering to hide his curiosity.

Klaus was staring straight at Caroline, reading her body language for any signs of deceit. He noticed a sudden tenseness in her shoulder and the slight darkening in her eyes. Before she could answer his question, the older male vampire in the room chuckled under his breath.

"What's so funny, mate?" Klaus asked, as he allowed himself to tear his gaze away from Caroline and momentarily redirect it to Stefan.

Stefan merely grinned predatorily and said, "You ask an awful lot of questions, _mate._ The funny thing is you try to pass it off as something unimportant when I can easily see right through you. I bet you're just drooling to know the answer to your question".

Before he could get in a word or two in his defense, he was suddenly pinned against the wall with Stefan's hand slowly crushing his throat. He looked over at Rebekah in alarm but saw that she was lying unconscious on the ground, with her body at a grotesque angle. Caroline was dusting off her hands as she moved to straighten her sundress.

"You broke her neck!" he shouted, or at least he tried. It came out as a strangled cry, causing Stefan to clamp down on his neck even tighter.

"You may have won my sister's affections with your suave British ways but you of all people should remember that family will always come above all" Stefan snarled as Klaus glared back.

Caroline sighed as she watched Stefan continue to crush Klaus' windpipe. She walked to the nearest liquor cabinet and pulled out a glass and a bottle of bourbon. She poured herself a straight shot and down the liquid in one gulp. With renewed her vigor, she set aside the glass and walked towards the male pair.

"Let him go, brother" Caroline demanded, as she stood behind Stefan.

Stefan turned his head to look at her and saw the burning determination in her eyes. He rolled his eyes at her before letting go of the younger vampire.

Before Klaus could gather his senses, he was once again pushed against the wall. This time, it had been the well manicured nails that were digging into the flesh of his neck. His eyes snapped down to meet his attacker's, and he suddenly realized his mistake.

"Tell me everything you know about us" Caroline compelled.

Releasing the hold she had on him, she turned around and sat on the sofa once more. Stefan had already re-taken his previous spot with his own glass of bourbon in hand.

Klaus frowned at the Salvatore siblings as he made his way back to the sofa as well. He came across Rebekah's body and lifted to lay her down on the couch.

"I don't know much, only of what I've been told. There are five originals. The Original Hybrid, The Original Salvatore Brothers, The Original Vampire Hunter, and The Original Witch. Did I miss anyone?" Klaus asked, anger building up in him at Caroline's compulsion.

At the mention of their sister, Caroline's mind drifted to the days she spent as a human.

* * *

_The conversation she had with Ayanna a few days ago had left her terrified. She had learned from experience to put her faith in Ayanna's warnings as they had previously served her well. Before she had left her old friend's house, she had made it a point to casually borrow older witch's grimoire while coming up with a lame excuse about dispelling Caroline's recurring nightmares._

_That night, she found a spell that could grant immortality. The only thing that made her resolve waver was the fact that the spell required a human sacrifice. She could not possibly impose that fate on another human being. There had to be another way. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard giggling just a few steps of her hiding place. _

_She had been hiding in the clearing just a few steps from her hut, intent on keeping her current mission a secret. She closed the grimoire and held her breath, as she moved to conceal herself better behind the nearby trees. Voices and footsteps began to resonate louder and Lexi willed herself to keep as quiet as she could._

"_Tatia, my dear, I would certainly miss you" a male voice said, his words slurring slightly._

_Lexi clutched the grimoire tighter in her hands as she sneaked a peek at the couple intruding on her privacy. She had to place a free hand on her mouth to keep from letting a gasp fall from her lips. In the clearing stood Tatia and the village's blacksmith, who was very much married with five children of his own. Based on their intimate touches, Lexi could only assume that this was not a friendly meeting but that of lovers'._

"_I'm not going anywhere, my love." Tatia said, as she ran her hand down the man's arm._

"_That maybe so, but Stefan has already asked Alaric permission to have you as his intended. Even though Alaric seemed hesitant at first, we knew that he couldn't deny his son. That means our fun is slowly coming to an end." The man said, as he moved to lean on one of the trees, clearly struggling with his balance._

_Tatia took this opportunity to press her body against his as she smiled seductively at him. "Stefan will make a wonderful husband. He cares for me, and is obviously able to take care of me as he is the village leader's son. However, that doesn't mean that you and I shan't have fun any longer." She said, as she captured the man's mouth with hers._

_Something in Lexi snapped as the brunette's words sunk in. She made herself known to the couple, eliciting shocked expressions. Before either of them could speak, she concentrated her thoughts on the spell she previously learned from Ayanna about incapacitating someone for a few moments by rendering them unconscious. In seconds, two bodies staggered down the dirt of the clearing, eyes closed but still breathing._

_Lexi dragged Tatia's unconscious body deeper into the woods. Once she was far enough from the village, she set Tatia's body against the nearest tree and looked around for the sharpest edge she could find. She had nothing on her person as she was not planning on doing a spell when she had ventured into the clearing that night._

_That was when she spotted it. It was a discarded arrow head, probably from one of the men in the village who ventured that far enough to hunt for food. It was lying on the ground, slightly glistening from the moonlight. It wasn't as sharp as her knife back in her hut but it would have to do for now. She quickly retrieved it from the forest floor and made her way towards the unconscious girl._

_Tatia groggily stirred awake, as memories of the last few moments began to flood her mind. She opened her eyes to see Lexi standing over with a long stick that seemed to glisten at the end. Her pulse rose as she realized what exactly was in the blonde's hand. She tried to shuffle away from the other woman but before she could, Lexi had already jabbed the arrow in the brunette's beating heart._

_Lexi twisted the arrow in Tatia's chest as the latter stared up with a pained expression. The blonde watched as the life started to drain from the other woman's body. She took the moleskin pouch she always carried in her dress and discarded the water that it held. She slowly pulled out the arrow and painstakingly gathered Tatia's blood until the pouch was full._

_Despite the distance from the village, she didn't want to risk a hunter accidentally venturing onto where she stood and finding Tatia's gradually composing body. She knew she had to bury her and let the earth take care of her business._

* * *

"_Have you happened to see Tatia this morning, sister?" Stefan asked, as he approached his eldest sister._

_Lexi looked up momentarily at him before resuming her hand washing. "I do not make it my business to know Tatia's whereabouts, dear brother". _

_Stefan frowned slightly. He knew he couldn't expect more from his older sister as he was aware of she did not hold the brunette in the same regard as he did. As he walked away, he heard Lexi's voice call out to him in the distance._

"_Do not forget your moleskins, brother. Here, take these and give one to father and Damon. All of you will need all the hydration you can get if you expect to catch anything for supper". Lexi said, as she handed three moleskin containers to Stefan._

_Stefan smiled at the gesture and kissed his older sister on the forehead before walking down his intended path._

_Lexi looked on worriedly at her brother and back down to her hands. No matter how she scrubbed, she couldn't seem to manage to get the scent of Tatia's blood off her hands. She walked back to the make shift area outside of their hut where they prepared their food._

_She leaned heavily over the sink, heaving dry vomit. She felt as if her intestines would rise out through her mouth and yet nothing came out, no matter how much she tried._

* * *

_After her preparations and actual execution of the spell, she laced their family's entire water supply with Tatia's blood. She had personally ensured that her father and siblings drank all of the water that was in the big clay pot stored inside their hut. She had made her decision and she was sticking by it._

_Lexi had always found it easy to fall asleep from the exhaustion brought on by daily chores, but lately, she had grown restless with guilt from taking another person's life. Ignoring the full moon, she roused her younger sister awake._

"_Caroline, wake up" she said, needing someone to confide to._

_Caroline shifted in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. The younger blonde had always been a light sleeper. "What is it, sister?" she asked, unable to contain the yawn that accompanied it._

"_I have done something unforgivable" Lexi whispered, instantly feeling the weight on her shoulders slightly lessen. Saying it out loud to another person had granted her a glimpse of the lightness she was speaking._

_Caroline furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to discern her older sister's words. "Whatever you did, sister, I am confident that you had your reasons. I can sense your hesitation in telling me exactly what it was that you did, and I am here to tell you that you can tell me about it when you're ready. In the meantime, I am here for you in your time of need". She said, as she rose and moved to sit on her older sister's bed._

_Before Lexi could pull Caroline in an embrace, they heard screaming and growling outside of their tents. It was this time that Lexi glanced at the full moon and realized their fate. Caroline took notice of the ongoing chaos outside and shifted closer to her older sister._

"_What's happening, Lexi?" she asked, her voice slightly breaking from fear._

_Lexi could only look down sadly at her younger sister before whispering, "They're here"._

* * *

Rebekah began to gain consciousness as she shifted to gain a better position. Her neck felt like it had been violently snapped. Realization hit her milliseconds before a masculine hand wrapped around her sore neck. She willed her eyes open to stare directly at the male Original's eyes.

"You will sit down and remain seated. You will not interfere. Do you hear me?" Stefan asked, as his eyes dilated. Rebekah could only nod in response, taken in by his compulsion.

From the other side of the room, Klaus glared at the older vampire as he witnessed him compelling Rebekah once more.

"Why do you want to know more about my family?" Caroline asked, willing Klaus' attention back to her. She had him currently pinned against one of the living room pillars, a hand around his neck keeping him in place.

"Knowledge is power, sweetheart. Be best to remember that" Klaus replied cheekily, refusing to succumb to the Original's torture methods.

"Were you sent by my father?" Caroline growled, annoyed at the younger vampire's cheek.

"No, but I've heard from _Katerina_ that he's on his way to Chicago". Klaus said, as he grasped the hands on his neck. His attempts to pull her off had been futile but he refused to go down without a fight.

Caroline suddenly released him as if touching him had burned her. She threw a panic look towards Stefan as the male Original only nodded in response.

"You will sit beside Rebekah and not meddle any longer. You will only move again once I tell you to" Caroline said, grabbing Klaus' face and forcing it to stare back at hers.

Klaus nodded as he took the seat beside his sister as he helplessly watched the Original siblings decide his and Rebekah's fate.

"We have to kill them, Care. They know too much" Stefan said, throwing the incapacitated siblings a disinterested look.

Caroline stared at Klaus and saw the panic in his eyes at Stefan's words. "I know what to do. You're right, Stef. We need to kill them. It's the only way. But I want to do the honors. Let me get something first" she said, as she walked out of the living room.

Stefan nodded at his younger sister as he watched her made her way to the basement. Once she was out of sight, he turned to the siblings currently glaring at him as they sat obediently on the living room couch.

"It's nothing perso-" Stefan tried to say, only to be surprised at the painful sensation in his chest. He looked back to see Caroline with tears in her eyes as she silently imbedded the dagger deeper into his heart. His body began to turn grey as Caroline stepped away from the damage she had caused.

With renewed determination, she approached the seated siblings and demanded their attention. "You will forget everything pertaining to our family. You will forget ever meeting us in Chicago. You will only remember when I tell you to remember" she said, as more tears ran down her face. "Now, leave us".

The pair simply nodded before exiting the mansion in vampire speed.

Tears continued to pour despite Caroline's feeble attempts to stop crying. Once again, she was left all alone.

* * *

Author's note: No cliffhangers! Only promise of a 2012 reunion with the Mikaelsons. I wonder how that will go. Any guesses, sweethearts? ;)


End file.
